Means for rendering explosives nondeliquescent



10 the flame.

Patented Mar. 26,1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LLEWELLYN J. W. JONES, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES F. OBRIEN,

F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

MEANS FOR RENDERING EXPLOSIVES NONDELIQUESCENT.

No Drawing.

My invention relates to explosives whose characteristic ingredients are a chlorate or a perchlorate of an alkalinemetal, .or of ammonium, and a nitrate of an alkaline metal,

or of ammonium, combined with liquid nitrotoluenes, more especially the mono-, di-, and tri-nitrotoluenes.

It is well known that water in an explo sive reduces the temperature and shortens I have discovered that when the amount of water exceeds four per cent in chlorate powders that the powder fails to explode and when theamount of water exceeds one per cent its power as an explosive l5 begins to fall.

I have found that the above-mentioned salts purchased in commerce are frequently deliquescent, and particularly is this the case with sodium nitrate. :I have found that this characteristic is due to impurities present in the commercial articles and that such impurities often comprise magnesium chloride and calcium chloride, both of which are strongly deliquescent. In order to overcome this fault I have used dehydrated sodium carbonate, in powdered form, which reacts with the moist magnesium chloride according to the following equation neither, the magnesium carbonate nor the sodium chloride resulting therefrom being deliquescent; and which reacts with the moist calcium chloride according to the following similar equation CaCl +Na CO =CaCO +2NaCh neither the calcium carbonate nor the sodium chloride resulting therefrom being deliquescent.

I mix the dehydrated sodium carbonate, in the form of a powder, with the moist salts before drying and grinding, in order to bring about the reaction and also to obtain an intimate mixture, during the grinding.

The amount of sodium carbonate to be used Application filed March 21, 1927. Serial No. 177,223.

is determined by an analysis of the salts. Theoretically ninety-five parts by weight of magnesium chloride, one-hundred-andeleven parts by weight of calcium chloride,

would require one-hundred-and-six parts by weight of sodium carbonate, but I prefer to increase the quantity of such sodium carbonate up to twice the said proportionate amount.

After mixing and grinding the said ingredients, I dry the mixture at as near 100 C. as can be obtained by steam driers and, while still hot, we add the mixed toluenes to thoroughly waterproof the salts.

My invention therefore comprises the addition to explosive powders, containing'commercial alkaline chlorates or nitrates, of dehydrated sodium carbonate in a powdered .form whereby the deliquescent salts, occurring as impurities therein, are converted into nondeliquescent salts, which will not subsequcntly absorb water and thus injure the quality of the powder.

Having, therefore, described my invention, what I claim is 1. The rocess of preparing explosive powders whereby their deliquescence is prevented, comprising mixing the explosive ingredients, including impurities such as magnesium and calcium chlorides found in the commercial ingredients, with dehydrated sodium carbonate; grinding said mixture; drying said mixture; and coating said dried mixture with a mixture of liquid nitrotoluenes.

2. The process of preparing explosive powders, whereby their deli uescence is prevented, comprising chemical y changing the magnesium and calcium chlorides, present as impurities, into magnesium and calcium carbonates by the addition of dehydrated sodium carbonate to the impure ingredients; grinding and drying said mixture; and coating the resulting powder with a mixture of liquid nitrotoluenes.

LLEWELLYN J. W. JONES. 

